A Review on Role of Nanofluids for Solar Energy Applications

The sun is a nature source of renewable energy. Solar energy consumption is very important in the backdrop of global warming and decrease of carbon dioxide secretion. Solar energy has been explored through solar thermal exploitation, photovoltaic power invention, and so on. Solar thermal consumption is the most accepted utilization surrounded by them. In conservative solar thermal collectors, plates or tubes coated with a layer of selectively absorbing material are used to take up solar energy, and then energy is carried away by working fluids in the form of warm. This type of collector exhibits several shortcomings, such as restrictions on incident flux density and relatively high heat losses. The shortage of fossil fuels and environmental considerations motivated the researchers to use alternative energy source such as solar energy. Therefore, it is essential to improve the effectiveness and recital of the solar thermal systems. In addition, some reported works on the applications of nanofluids in thermal energy storage, solar cells, and solar stills are reviewed. Dispersing outline amounts of nanoparticles into common base-fluids has a significant impact on the optical as well as thermo-physical properties of the base-fluid. Enhancement of the solar irradiance assimilation capacity leads to a higher heat convey rate resulting in more capable heat transmit. Nanofluids are suspension of nanoparticles in base fluids, a new challenge for thermal sciences provided by nanotechnology. Nanofluids have unique features different from conventional solid-liquid mixtures in which mm or µm sized particles of metals and non-metals are dispersed. Due to their excellent characteristics, nanofluids find wide applications in enhancing heat transfer. The aim of this appraisal manuscript is the study of the nanofluids in solar Energy applications. In order to overcome these drawbacks, direct solar absorption collector has been used for solar thermal exploitation.